Split washer assemblies are used in such automotive applications as manual transmissions. In the automotive industry it has been the practice to use a continuous annular retaining ring to loosely retain split thrust washers in a speed shaft groove separating a pair of speed gears. As a result it has been the practice to form the circumferential groove in the speed shaft with sufficient depth to insure retention of the split washers. Such overdeep grooves, while providing a safety factor against loss of the split washers, have dictated the use of larger diameter speed shaft. Thus, to reduce the weight and size of speed shaft in their design stage, it would be desirable to provide an improved thrust washer assembly embodying a shallower shaft retaining groove while retaining sufficient contact area between the sides of the washers and the groove to absorb the design thrust loads. Such a thrust washer assembly would also allow speed shafts presently in production to be manufactured with shallower grooves thereby increasing their fatigue life.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,277,199 issued July 7, 1981 to R. E. Livesay discloses a keeper assembly wherein a replaceable keeper segment in a track chain joint provides a shoulder to secure an arcuate keeper segment against axial displacement with respect to a track pin. The Livesay keeper segent has an outwardly opening side seat, and an external retaining ring of "C" configuration releasably connected to the side seat for holding the keeper segments positively in the groove.